Families Klein, Ree, de Breed en de Vries van Terschelling » Elizabeth Custis (1776-1831)

Personal data Elizabeth Custis 

• She was born on August 21, 1776 in Virginia.
• She died on December 31, 1831 in Virginia, she was 55 years old.
• A child of John Parke Custis and Eleanor Calvert

Household of Elizabeth Custis

Notes about Elizabeth Custis

Documented Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Parke_Custis_Law

Elizabeth (Eliza) Parke Custis Law (21 August 1776 – 31 December 1831)^[1][2] was the eldest granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Washington and step-grandchild of George Washington. She was a social leader of the District of Columbia and a preserver of the Washington family heritage.

 

Elizabeth Parke Custis was born on 21 August 1776.^[1][3] She was the eldest daughter of John Parke Custis, the son of Martha Washington and her first husband Daniel Parke Custis, and his wife Eleanor Calvert, daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert and his wife Elizabeth Calvert.^[3] She was also the eldest grandchild of Martha Washington and step-grandchilld of George Washington.^[1][3]

Elizabeth's siblings included Martha Parke Custis Peter (1777–1854), Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Custis Lewis (1779–1852), and George Washington Parke Custis (1781–1857). She was known to her family as "Betsey."^[3][4] During their early childhood, the four children were raised at the Abingdon plantation, which their father had purchased.^[3]

After the 1781 death of her father, John Parke Custis, the eldest two daughters (Elizabeth and Martha) continued to live with their mother at Abingdon, while the two youngest children (Nelly and George) moved to Mount Vernon to live with George and Martha Washington.^[3] In 1783, their mother (Eleanor Calvert Custis), married Dr. David Stuart (1753-1814), an Alexandria, physician and business associate of George Washington.^[3] Dr. Stuart and his wife remained at Abingdon for the first years of their marriage.^[3]

The growing Stuart family and the Washingtons remained very close.^[3] In 1785, Dr. Stuart purchased an estate, Hope Park, in Fairfax County, Virginia and moved his growing family there.^[3] The girls continued to visit back and forth with their grandparents, and Martha Washington’s letters mark these occasions.^[3] Elizabeth and Martha were brought often to Mount Vernon in George Washington’s coach.^[3] When Eleanor Calvert Custis Stuart went to stay with her mother on her father’s death in 1788, the two sisters remained with Martha Washington.^[3]

 

On 20 March 1795, Elizabeth married Thomas Law, the son of Edmund Law, Bishop of Carlisle,^[4][5] and the brother of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough, George Henry Law, later Bishop of Bath and Wells,^[6] and John Law, Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh in Ireland.^[7] Law was one of Washington, D.C.'s wealthiest citizens and was active, although not successful, in business enterprises. He eventually lost his fortune.^[8]

The announcement of Elizabeth's engagement came as a surprise to her grandparents George and Martha Washington, as Thomas was twice Elizabeth's age.^[9][10] Elizabeth and Thomas separated in 1804 and divorced on 15 January 1811.^[9]

The couple had one daughter who survived infancy, Elizabeth Law (19 January 1797 – 9 August 1822). She married Nicholas Lloyd Rogers on 5 April 1817.^{[1][11][12][13]}

 

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Timeline Elizabeth Custis

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